Change.org petition calls for removal of State BOE member Ella Bell
Vice-President of the Alabama Board of Education Ella Bell has found herself under fire following a June 21 board meeting in which she asked whether or not a special academy could be formed for special needs students in order to improve test scores within Alabama’s public schools. “Is it against the law for us to establish perhaps an academy on special education or something on that order,” asked Bell, “so that our scores that already are not that good would not be further cut down by special-ed’s test scores involved?” While her question didn’t draw ire on the spot, it caught the attention of Cameron Smith, a regular columnist for AL.com and vice president for the R Street Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. who wrote a column on Thursday saying Bell wants to “force special needs children into an institution.” Now there’s a change.org petition calling for her to immediately be removed from the board of education. Less than 18 hours after it’s creation, the petition started by Mary Catherine Hanson of Bessemer, Ala. has over 30,000 signatures. Bell claims her remarks were taken out of context. “The AL.com article with the headline stating a desire to ‘institutionalize’ special-need students takes my remarks out of context and defies the standards of objective journalism,” Bell released in a statement via the BOE on Thursday. “I never uttered the word nor have I ever considered ‘institutionalizing’ students with special needs. I asked a question about the legality of creating an academy that focuses squarely on the needs of students with intellectual disabilities. I understand how insensitive what I said must have sounded. To individuals who were offended by my remarks, no matter how well intended they were, I sincerely apologize. Watch Bell’s question at the board meeting below: https://youtu.be/q2nHaxJtFLc?t=17m38s
Jeb Bush: Campaign decision “in relatively short order”
Jeb Bush said Thursday he will make up his mind “in relatively short order” whether to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016. The former Florida governor will be in New Hampshire this weekend to speak at town hall-style meetings at two businesses and at a GOP event. He will also attend a night event called Politics and Pies and a morning event called Politics and Eggs, he said. “Typical day in New Hampshire, apparently,” Bush told reporters Thursday in Jackson, Miss., where he attended a bill-signing ceremony with Republican Gov. Phil Bryant. Bush said he’s not concerned that several other hopefuls are ahead of him in launching their campaigns. “I’m on a journey to kind of measure support,” Bush said. “Other people’s processes are not really that relevant to me. I’ll make up my mind in relatively short order. I’m excited about just the possibility of being in a position to consider it.” He said his family supports his exploration of a presidential bid. “In a campaign, no matter if it’s running for governor or running for president or anything else, you’ve got to go earn it,” Bush said. “You’ve got to go earn people’s respect and persuade people that your ideas are better, that you have leadership skills to make it happen. You’ve got a heart for people. Those are the things that matter. Who’s winning, who’s losing? Who cares?” The law Bryant signed is based on a program created in Florida when Bush was governor. Mississippi will issue $6,500 vouchers for a small percentage of the state’s special education students. Families can use the public money to pay for private school tuition, tutoring or other education services outside the public schools. Mississippi has about 66,500 special-needs students. The new law will create vouchers for 500 students the first year. Over five years, the program will grow to 2,500 students. Bush said he expects the program to boost educational opportunities in Mississippi, where fewer than 25 percent of special education students finish high school. “The schools will start becoming more focused on the challenges of children with learning disabilities and more kids will rise up,” Bush said. “I know in Florida when we gave kids choices they didn’t have, all schools got better.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
